Actors John Stamos and Bob Saget reunited with their Full House castmates on Saturday night (24Jan15) to celebrate the sitcom creator's 60th birthday.
Stamos and Saget, along with co-stars Lori Loughlin, Candace Cameron Bure, Jodie Sweetin and Andrea Barber, were on hand for Full House creator and executive producer Jeff Franklin's party in Los Angeles.
The actors took to social media throughout the night to document their happy reunion - Loughlin posted a snap of herself cozying up to former onscreen husband Stamos, while Cameron Bure shared a photo with her TV dad Saget and aunt Loughlin, alongside the caption, "It was a Full House at Jeff Franklin's birthday party. Love my 2nd family."
As a special tribute to the beloved show, the cast took to the stage to sing its theme song, Everywhere You Look. They were joined by the tune's singer, Jesse Frederick, and birthday boy Franklin, who co-wrote the classic track in 1987. Full House ended its eight-season run in 1995.
It was a Full House at Jeff Franklin's birthday party last night. Love my 2nd family. @loriloughlin @bobsaget
A photo posted by Candace Cameron Bure

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Shutting off news reports of the Iran-Contra affair, turning down the abrasive rock stylings of the Beastie Boys, and peering through the perpetual mist of airborne cocaine particles that was inherent to 1987 California, film and television director Jeff Franklin dreamed of a simpler time. A time riddled with milkmen and paperboys, a time wherein three grown imbeciles could band together to raise a triad of blonde, plucky sisters together without incurring questioning unto their judgmental capabilities. Even in a time as cynical as the late '80s and early '90s, Franklin's creation Full House managed to thrive on the simple, wholesome, drama-free bounties of pleasant West Coast tomfoolery. Back then, the Tanners and co. didn't need postmodern satire, sociopolitical undertones, sudden character deaths, love triangles, or overarching themes of any kind — they relied (and thrived) simply on being pleasant. But today would be a different story.
With John Stamos pushing to revive the highly successful ABC sitcom (via TV Guide) — in the wake of the Disney Channel's creation of Girl Meets World, no less — we are looking at the considerable, albeit presently quite tentative, possibility that such an entity might in time come to be. But we can't help but wonder how a show about three ceaselessly well-meaning kooks and their frighteningly saccharine communal daughters would fare amid today's TV slate: a community of shows where crooked and criminal, if not entirely amoral, heroes and heroine are the norm rather than the exception.
Cynicism is the life blood of today's TV. Even in our comedic fare — think of Community, Arrested Development, How I Met Your Mother, and even The Big Bang Theory — do we see the proclivity to mock and deconstruct, to tear apart the very fabric of shows like Full House (happy family bouncing from one typical sitcom plotline to the next week after week). Our characters aren't looking to reclaim the era of milkmen and paperboys the way Danny Tanner was, they're looking to shoot down the blind-eyed peurility upheld by this allegedly superior past. So far gone into the muck of irony is today's television viewer that Full House couldn't seem earnest no matter how hard it tried... or, better yet, how naturally earnestness came to it.
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But even if we can accept the Tanner/Katsopolis/Gladstone/Gibbler tribe as impeccably genuine, what would be our motivation to watch week after week? Full House, so appropriately named after an immobile edifice, was a show that celebrated its static nature. Every time you set foot into that San Francisco dwelling, you were treated to the same consequence-free merriment that you caught episodes and seasons prior. Yes, this was a treat, not a relegation. But today, we yearn for that through-line momentum. We watch, if for no other reason, to find out what happens next in the chaotic and kinetic, oftentimes toxic, forward narratives of Walter White, Carrie Mathison, and Tyrion Lannister. Hell, one of the most popular shows on today is called Scandal. If that's not telling, then I don't know what is.
Without even a central romance into which to sink our teeth — could we really see Danny, Joey, or any of the girls upholding one half of a riveting will-they-won't-they? — we're hardly draw to "find out what happens on the next exciting episode of Full House," at least not with the same verve to which modern TV has fueled our communal addiction.
Lacking that intertwining drama, today's Full House could seem devoid of life force. Without the scathing bite of sarcasm, it could come off lazy and unclever. And with such an adherence to the traditional format — that which today's comedy routinely turns inside out for sport — it could render not nostalgic but wholly outdated. When Full House came to be in 1987, it was then a throwback, a revival of a simpler time. So what would it be now? A throwback to a throwback? A revival of a revival? A tribute to a time simpler than a time that was simpler? See, just trying to identify it feels like a lost cause.
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Christmas may still be a month off, but when has that ever stopped the Hallmark Channel from rolling out its holiday themed movies a tad bit early? Quick answer: never! Which is why a snowy-white TV-flick starring none-other than Henry Winkler is just one of the great programs on our list this week. Here's what else you need to be watching.
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Modern FamilyWhy Modern Family? Because it's still the most consistently funnyshow on network TV. And we all know how the Big Four's crop of brand spankin' new sitcoms have been faring lately. Just turns on The Crazy Ones for five minutes. A vomit bag may be required. A new episode of Modern Family airs Wednesday at 9PM ET on ABC.
JFK: Three Shots That Changed AmericaWant more JFK anniversary coverage? How could you not? Then you'll want to check out the History Channel's engrossing two-part documentary airing this Friday. Not only does it include rare and unseen footage of the Kennedy assassination, but it also repudiates claims that there was a conspiracy or government cover-up. Hope you're listening, Oliver Stone! JFK: Three Shots That Changed America will air this Friday on the History Channel. Check your local listings for times.
The Most Wonderful Time of the YearThanksgiving hasn't even arrived yet, but Christmas season is already in full swing on the Hallmark Channel. In this heartwarming gem from 2008, Henry Winkler goes to great lengths to teach his curmudgeonly sister (Brooke Burns) about the true meaning of the holiday. That's right, folks, he's leaving the Fonz jacket at home! The Most Wonderful Time of the Year airs this Wednesday at 8PM ET on the Hallmark Channel.
The SimpsonsYep, America's favorite animated family (sorry Griffins) are back at it for a record-braking 25th season. Who's still watching, you ask? Well, enough people for Matt Groening and company to score a cool $750 million after signing an immensely lucrative syndication deal with FXX last week. And with over episodes and counting, those chinless Springfieldians show no signs of slowing down. Another new episode of The Simpsons airs this Sunday at 8PM ET on Fox.
ChoppedFor 17 seasons and counting, Chopped has been pitting chefs against one another and seeing what they come up with. This week the cooks are asked to combine exotic dishes like kimchi and gefilte fish, as well as a dessert round featuring marshmallow cake and citrus water. Mmm...anyone else feeling hungry right about now? A new episode of Chopped airs this Tuesday at 7 PM ET on the Food Network.
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Robert Zemeckis is a blockbuster director at heart. Action has never been an issue for the man behind Back to the Future. When he puts aside the high concept adventures for emotional human stories — think Forrest Gump or Cast Away — he still goes big. His latest Flight continues the trend revolving the story of one man's fight with alcoholism around a terrifying plane crash. Zemeckis expertly crafts his roaring centerpiece and while he finds an agile performer in Denzel Washington the hour-and-a-half of Flight after the shocking moment can't sustain the power. The "big" works. The intimate drowns.
Washington stars as Whip Whitaker a reckless airline pilot who balances his days flying jumbo jets with picking up women snorting lines of cocaine and drinking himself to sleep. Although drunk for the flight that will change his life forever that's not the reason the plane goes down — in fact it may be the reason he thinks up his savvy landing solution in the first place. Writer John Gatins follows Whitaker into the aftermath madness: an investigation of what really happened during the flight Whitaker's battle to cap his addictions and budding relationships that if nurtured could save his life.
Zemeckis tops his own plane crash in Cast Away with the heart-pounding tailspin sequence (if you've ever been scared of flying before Flight will push into phobia territory). In the few scenes after the literal destruction Washington is able to convey an equal amount of power in the moments of mental destruction. Whitaker is obviously crushed by the events the bottle silently calling for him in every down moment. Flight strives for that level of introspection throughout eventually pairing Washington with equally distraught junkie Nicole (Kelly Reilly). Their relationship is barely fleshed out with the script time and time again resorting to obvious over-the-top depictions of substance abuse (a la Nic Cage's Leaving Las Vegas) and the bickering that follows. Washington's Whitaker hits is lowest point early sitting there until the climax of the film.
Sharing screentime with the intimate tale is the surprisingly comical attempt by the pilot's airline union buddy (Bruce Greenwood) and the company lawyer (Don Cheadle) to get Whitaker into shape. Prepping him for inquisitions looking into evidence from the wreckage and calling upon Whitaker's dealer Harling (John Goodman) to jump start their "hero" when the time is right the two men do everything they can to keep any blame being placed upon Whitaker by the National Transportation Safety Board investigators. The thread doesn't feel relevant to Whitaker's plight and in turn feels like unnecessary baggage that pads the runtime.
Everything in Fight shoots for the skies — and on purpose. The music is constantly swelling the photography glossy and unnatural and rarely do we breach Washington's wild exterior for a sense of what Whitaker's really grappling with. For Zemeckis Flight is still a spectacle film with Washington's ability to emote as the magical special effect. Instead of using it sparingly he once again goes big. Too big.
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It's that special part of the day again: time for television tidbits! Tonight's savory television bits come from all over the world: from Briarcliff Manor to a kitchen in the United Kingdom, our small screen news knows no bounds. So let's dig in before it gets cold!
From Walking Dead to L.A. Noir: Former Walking Dead showrunner Frank Darabont has gotten his period drama L.A. Noir picked up for a six episode run on TNT. It stars Walking Dead‘s Jon Bernthal as an ex-Marine working for the LAPD in an era run rampant with corruption of the police variety of the 1940s. The true story series will tell the tale of the conflict between the LAPD (under the helm of Police Chief William Parker, aka Justified‘s Neal McDonough), and the criminal ring run by Mickey Cohen, a former boxer-turned-top-banana-crime-boss. [TVLine]
Dylan McDermott Returns to the Horror Story: Current television king Ryan Murphy has taken to his favorite place of news-breaking (the almighty Twitter) to announce the guest star casting of Dylan McDermott on American Horror Story: Asylum. Though no one knows what his role will be (or how involved it will be in the story line this year), it seems certain that it will probably involve a lot of creepiness. Fingers crossed he takes his shirt off, too (naturally).
So thrilled to announce Dylan McDermott is returning to American Horror Story!— Ryan Murphy (@MrRPMurphy) October 17, 2012
Ahhhh! More Monsters: TNT has put Frankenstein into development—a drama series based on the novels of the same name by Dean Koontz, which have sold more than 20 million copies. It will be a modern-day retelling (of course! Aren't they all?) of the Frankenstein myth, set in New Orleans. Following Victor Helios (Frankenstein) and his creepy creation 200 years after they thought they killed each other (but had not!) in a battle in the Arctic, the two end up in the same city unbeknownst to them. Victor has created more monsters that heed his beck and call, and once the original creature learns Victor is alive, a big ol' battle ensues. [Deadline]
CBS Orders British Cooking Competition: CBS is getting into the cooking competition game, giving a series order to Bake Off, an adaption of BBC2's The Great British Bake Off. The series has been a breakout hit in the UK as well as Denmark and Sweden, and will feature amateur Americans taking part in several baking challenges, with one being crowned the winner. Tasty! [Hollywood Reporter]
Mad Men Gets Lei'd: Apparently the season 6 premiere of Mad Men will start up with a cool drink of the tropical sights of Hawaii! Apparently Jon Hamm and Jessica Pare are leaving on Sunday for a small trip to shoot on the multi-island state. A second honeymoon for the Drapers, perhaps? Looks like creator Matt Weiner is putting that substantially increased budget to use. [Dealine]
A Marriage on Modern Family?: Earlier today, Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson tweeted a picture of himself and Eric Stonestreet underneath what looked like a marital arch. Could wedded bliss be in the air for the pair? Ferguson's not fessing up, but the image did come with the caption: "It's not what it looks like. Or is it? Guess you'll have to wait to find out!"
[Photo Credit: FX]
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When you're in high school it feels like the whole world is against you. In writer/director Stephen Chbosky's high school-set The Perks of Being a Wallflower the whole world may actually be against Charlie (Logan Lerman) whose freshman year of high school should be listed in the dictionary under "Murphy's Law." Plagued by memories of two significant deaths as well as general social anxiety Charlie takes a passive approach to ninth grade. A few days of general bullying later he falls into a friendship with two misfit seniors Patrick (Ezra Miller) and Sam (Emma Watson) who teach him how to live life without fear. Perks starts off with a disadvantage: introverts aren't terribly engaging but Chbosky surrounds Charlie with a vivid cast of characters who help him blossom and inject the coming-of-age tale with a necessary energy.
Set in a timeless version of the '90s Charlie's world is full of handwritten journals mixtapes and a just-tolerable amount of tweed. He writes letters to a nameless recipient as a way of venting a preventative measure to keep the teen from repeating a vague incident that previously left him hospitalized. The drab background of Pittsburgh fits perfectly with Charlie's blank existence. And when he finally comes to life as part of Patrick and Sam's off-beat clique so does the city. Like the archaic vinyl records Sam lusters over (The Smiths of course!) Chbosky visualizes Charlie's journey through the underbelly of suburban Pennsylvania with a raw emotion blooming lights and film grit at every turn. Michael Brook's score and an adeptly curated soundtrack accompanies the episodic affair which centers on Charlie's search for a song he hears during the most important moment of his life.
The charm that keeps The Perks of Being a Wallflower from collapsing under its own super seriousness come from Chbosky's perfectly cast ensemble. Lerman has a thankless job playing Charlie; often constrained to a half-smile and shy shrug Lerman is never allowed to grapple with Charlie's greatest fears and problems until (too) late in the film. Watson nails the spunky object-of-everyone's-affection but she's outshined by Mae Whitman as Mary Elizabeth another rebellious friend in the pack who takes a liking to Charlie. The real star turn is Miller riding high from We Need to Talk About Kevin and taking a complete 180 with Patrick a rambunctious wiseass who struggles to have an openly gay relationship with the football captain but covers his pain with humor. A scene of confrontation — at where else the cafeteria — is one of the best scenes of the year.
Chbosky adapted Perks of Being a Wallflower from his own book and the movie feels stifled by a looming structure. But it nails the emotional beats — there is no obvious path to surviving high school. It's messy shocking and occasionally beautiful. That about sums up Perks.

The remake of Total Recall never escapes the shadow of its Arnold Schwarzenegger-led predecessor — and strangely it feels like a choice. With a script that's nearly beat-for-beat the original film Total Recall plods along with enhanced special effects that bring to life an expansive sci-fi world and action scenes constructed to send eyes flipping backwards into skulls. Filling the cracks of the fractured film is a story that without knowledge of the Philip K. Dick adaptation's previous incarnation is barely decipherable. Those who haven't seen Paul Verhoeven's 1990 Total Recall? Time to get a few memory implants. 2012 Recall makes little sense with the cinematic foundation but it does zero favors to those out of the know.
Colin Farrell takes over duties from Schwarzenegger as Douglas Quaid a down-on-his-luck factory worker hoping to escape his stagnate existence with a boost from Rekall a company capable of engineering fake memories. Quaid calls the damp slums of "The Colony" home (one of two inhabitable parts of Earth) but he dreams of moving to the New Federation of Britain a pristine metropolis on the other side of the planet. When the futuristic treatment goes awry — caused by previously existing memories of our blue collar hero's supposed past life as a secret agent — Quaid emerges from Rekall with lethal power hidden under his mild-mannered persona. He quickly goes on the run escaping squads of soldiers robots and his assassin "wife " Lori (Kate Beckinsale) all hot on his tail. Total Recall turns into one long chase scene as Quaid unravels the mystery of his erased memories.
But when it comes to answers and heady sci-fi Total Recall falls short. Farrell isn't a hulking action star like Schwarzenegger but he's a performer that can sensitively explore any human crisis big or small. Director Len Wiseman (Underworld Live Free or Die Hard) never gives his leading man that opportunity. Farrell makes the best of the films occasional slow moment but the weight of Recall's mindf**k is suffocated in a series of fist fights hovercar pile-ups and foot chases pulled straight out of the latest platformer video game (a sequence that sends Quaid running across the geometric rooftop architecture of The Colony looks straight out of Super Mario Bros.). When Jessica Biel as Quaid's former romantic interest Melina and Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston as the power-hungry politico Cohaagen are finally woven into Farrell's feature length 50 yard dash it's too late — the movie isn't making sense and it's not about to regardless of the charm on screen.
The action is slick and the futuristic design is impeccable but without any time devoted to building the stakes Total Recall feels more like a HDTV demo than a thrilling blockbuster. The movie's greatest innovation is the central set piece "The Fall " an elevator that travels between the two cities at rapid speed. The towering keystone of mankind is a marvel but we never get to see it explore it or feel its implications on the world around it. Instead it's cemented as a CG background behind the craze of Farrell shooting his way through hoards of bad guys.
Science fiction more than any other dramatic genre twist demands attention to the details. New worlds aren't built on broad strokes. But Total Recall tries to get away with it in hopes that audiences will recall their own movie knowledge to support its faulty logic. The movie repeatedly prompts viewers to think back to the 1990 version with blatant fan service that's absolutely nonsensical in this restructured version (no longer does Quaid go to Mars but there's still a three-breasted alien?). The callbacks may have given Total Recall a "been there done that" feel but rarely is it coherent enough to get that far. By the closing credits you'll be struggling to remember what you spent the last two hours watching.
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